Vietnam How And Why The United States Got Involved Essays

Vietnam: How And Why The United States Got Involved Vietnam: How and Why the United States Got Involved The contention in Vietnam which is likewise called the Ten Thousand-Day War was a progressing fight from 1945 to 1975. In the 30 years of battling, the United States would lose more than 57,000 men while Vietnamese dead numbered 2,000,000 (Maclear 2). The Vietnam War is fascinating in light of the fact that numerous individuals have considered how and why the United States engaged in a war that truly didnt appear to concern them. American contribution formally started in 1950 when the US government perceived the Bao Dai government and started sending the French guide to fend off the socialist supported Viet Minh drove by Ho Chi Minh (Scheer 10). The French lost the war since it was not completely dedicated to a success strategy (Scheer 10). The Bao Dai, against Communist patriot elective, whom the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations had supported, had neglected to undermine the intrigue of the Viet Minh (Scheer 11). The cost of harmony included the giving up of some segment of the nation to the Communists, and the United States couldn't contradict since it had not gotten profoundly included (Scheer 12). The United States rather positioned its expectations on another enemy of Communist patriot option and his name was Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem acknowledged the offer and on July 7, 1954 his legislature was officially composed. This began another period of U.S. contribution in Vietnam. Representative John F. Kennedy suggested, so as to forestall the further spread of socialism in Southeast Asia, that the French award autonomy to South Vietnam, bolster the legislatures armed force, and at whatever point necessary[make] some dedication of our labor (Scheer 15). The settlement at Geneva in July, 1954, completed three things: 1) it finished the war; 2) isolated Vietnam into equal parts incidentally; and 3) called for harmony and reunification of the nation (Scheer 16). Diems government had confidence in close focal control to redirect the patriot upset from Communist goals (Scheer 21). During the principal year of the new government, Diem squashed all wellsprings of restriction left over from the Viet Minh (Scheer 21). By 1959, in the North, the Viet Minh had discounted the chance of the decisions that they should get and went to military methods. This finished the fanciful strength of the Diem system (Scheer 46). Diem knew that his legislature couldn't get by without the enormous guide from the United States so he put together his entire intrigue with respect to hostile to socialism (Scheer 56). In any case, at that point, with the Communist peril the reason for guaranteeing proceeded with American guide, the protected wide open unexpectedly was overwhelmed with Communist fear mongers (Scheer 56). Toward the finish of April 1960, eighteen Vietnamese aristocrats appealed to Diem to change his system. The request said ceaseless captures had filled penitentiaries to flooding and declared that a swollen Government organization was degenerate and wasteful (Scheer 59). In 1961 Edward Landsdale was sent to Vietnam to make a general investigation of the circumstance. He revealed that the circumstance was close to add up to crumple and that if the strategies of the Diem government and its counsels kept on being sought after the nation would before long be lost (Scheer 60). It was then chosen to build the Vietnamese Army from 150,000 to 250,000, which was an immediate infringement of the Geneva Accords, to focus its preparation on counter-revolt (Scheer 62). The last episodes that prompted the overthrow were a train of misuses, no single one of which was essentially more significant than some other, despite the fact that the emotional Buddhist emergency is every now and again refered to as the issue that crosses over into intolerability; it was one straw, a sensational on. On November 1, the officers organized an upset and at long last Diem was murdered (Trager 179). In the spring of 1961, the magazine press started to update its image of Diems government (Scheer 66). Jerry Rose, who was a specialist on Vietnam, acknowledged the control strategy after Diems expulsion and bolstered the abrogating need for halting the spread of socialism in Vietnam. He says: To summarize: one arrangement now for the U.S. seems, by all accounts, to be a demonstration of intensity in South Vietnam which would prepare toward a trading off settlement. In any case, is the danger of a strategic maneuver justified? Southeast Asia has

Planning and Land Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Arranging and Land Use - Essay Example This was constrained to ensure the notable character of the town. By and by, as indicated by the arranging balance between the homes and work environments, and the thought of manageable improvement today it has prompted negative effects. This city is of premium since it is a medieval city, which has a rich history and the weight of creating takes steps to wipe away the rich history of this town. Hence, the center of the city has become constrained in light of the fact that the innovative work exercises have been focused inside the destinations of work on the edge of the city. Under the Cambridge wonder there were 400 innovative associations in the zone, which utilized more than sixteen thousand individuals (Morrison, 2010). These associations originated from the divisions of the college and spun offs from organizations, which had causes of the college. From that point onward, it has been concentrated. During this period, the trans-European interstate gave the primary street connect between the parts and the midlands that were industrialized. The choice to improve the foundation of the city was made at the National Level, though, the land utilization of the arranging of Cambridge was under the Holford Plan of 1950 (Waters and Lawton, 2002). In spite of every one of these plans, the structure plan of the Cambridgeshire looked for intends to control the development of the city ostensibly. This was done through keeping up the tight green belt. The explanation behind this arrangement was to make sure about the memorable character and setting of Cambridge. Green belts have been a basic system for arranging in England. Inside it, it is difficult to get authorization for making arrangements for advancement. The reason for that is to protect the setting and important character of the town, check unhindered rise of developed zones, help shielding the field from infringement lastly to control the neighboring towns from converging into another (Wicksteed, 2005). For Cambridge, without the green belt then the city

Agile Methodologies

Agile Methodologies A Lightweight Agile Software Development Methodology Home›Technology Posts›A Lightweight Agile Software Development Methodology Technology PostsIntroduction The software development methods are usually perceived to be composed of various practices set for software development whose creation is attributed to practitioners who are experienced. In these methods, there is a clear prove of their break from the traditional methods in which the emphasis has been an approach based on rationalized engineering (Qumer Henderson, 2006) based on which the problems are claimed to be specifiable on full basis. This article provides a comprehensive methodology of agile software development through an approach which comprehensively handles various stages. The first stage offers a comprehensive overview of the introduction to the SDLC. The second section provides the agile software development methodology followed with the Scrum methodology.SDLCSoftware Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is basically a systems development structured approach whose onset is the system developing planning phase right through the system support once there is implementation and the system is functional. This process involves various steps together with tasks that can be followed by the system developers in ensuring that the system is built in a faster rate through utilizing minimal costs together with ensuring that the chances of risks are minimized as much as possible. The steps that are involved in the System Development Lifecycle are summarized below:Preliminary investigation: This is the project investigation initial step with the objective which is usually geared towards identification of the system that is required, what is to be included as the broad scope, the time, the costs together with other resources that are required. After the collection of information which is broad and tentative, there is the decision making which determines whether the system development process is going to procee d or not.Feasibility study: This step is highlighted as critical with an aim of ensuring that the organization will be benefited by the computer system. This stage usually involves the investigation of the economic, social and technical feasibility by the technical team which is followed by preparation of a report of feasibility study. In this report, there is a recommendation to the management on whether or not to undertake the project. Therefore this feasibility study acts as a basis through which the way forward is determined coupled with providing information that is sufficient through which the decision is to be qualified.The design of the system: This stage is actually aimed at development of the whole architectural process high level design, which is inclusive of the software, hardware, procedures as well as the interfaces. This step will require sufficiency in the details degree in order to ensure that the management is able to make a decision on whether the requirements of the user are to be met and if this requirement s of the user is to be met, it is also at this step where the evaluation will be done to establish if the process is in accordance with the plan and strategies of the company. The various techniques and tools that can be used and which ensure high design level are; project planning and scheduling, high level flowcharts software together with the high level diagrams of data flow.Detailed design: This is the stage which involves drawing the details for the software. This will involve producing each detail of the procedure of the software, together with the controls and the databases. This stage will have various outcomes which will include; flowcharts of the software that are detailed, data flow diagrams that are detailed, relationship diagram of the entity for the design of the database and pseudocode that are structured, report and screen design together with a document containing detailed specification of the program.Development: This phase is actually marked as the most intensive in the project and it is at this stage that a maximum number of people are involved directly with the project. This is the step which involves writing and testing of the programs, together with the documentation of the procedures and preparation of a system document. This phase may also involve commencement of the user personnel training.Implementation: This is what is also commonly referred to as the phase of deployment or installation phase. This phase involve installation and deployment of the system that has been newly built. This step can involve use of various techniques to ensure that the system that is existing (may be a manual or computerized system) is replaced and transformed into a databases of a new system. This is followed by conducting of final test on the system to ensure that the higher management and the users are satisfied.Maintenance: At this phase, the users use the system in the organization. The commencement of th is step is implemented after the system deployment has been completed until the retirement of the system. After the system has been deployed, it is usually used on continuous basis until the management makes the decision of retiring the solution. This can be after several years. The reason for this phase being referred to as maintenance is because it is during this phase that is characterized by frequent changes in the requirements of the users and the policies of the company together with the system having to be introduced to these changes. At times, there may be a few problems or bugs in the system which may be discovered and raise the need for fixation, together with sometimes new procedures and technologies having to be introduced.The review of the post implementation is where the maintenance usually starts; a phase during which the system performance audit is usually done, and as soon as there has been deployment, there is implementation of the audit. The main purpose of this s tep is actually to ensure that the system standards are in accordance with all the requirements coupled with meeting the user’s expectations. The problems are usually fixed as soon as their discovery. After the review of the post implementation, what follows is the commencement of the use of the software. This is usually characterized by regular IT audit which will be carried out during the useful life of the system in order to make an evaluation of its performance. This is what is commonly referred to as the system monitoring. In case of any requirement of this system use at any time during the lifetime of the system, this will call for the repetition of the SDLC cycle.During the application system SDLC, there are various risks which are likely to be experienced. These risks are inclusive of the adoption of application system in the SDLC that are not appropriate, control that is not adequate to the process of the SDLC, the possibility of the application system not being able to m eet the objectives and requirements of the user, the problem of management support, project management that is not adequate, architecture and technology incorporation that is not appropriate, variation in the scope, overruns in costs and time, application system with quality that is not adequate, lack of sufficient attention to the controls and security, failure to meet the criteria of performance, together with lack of adequate adherence to the SDLC that is chosen. Other risks that may arise during the SDLC are failure to fully focus on the other processes and applications interdependencies together with lack of sufficient planning for the cutover and conversion of the data.During the feasibility study, there are various participants that are usually involved. These will be inclusive of the team to conduct the feasibility study, the steering committee, the programmer, the engineers to be involved with quality assurance, the support staff and auditors in the IT.AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELO PMENT METHODOLOGY In the agile development methodology, iterations are usually embraced. This will be enhanced by small teams working together with the stakeholders in the process of defining the concepts proof, quick prototypes or other visual methods through which the problem to be solved is going to be described. The requirements for the iterations are defined by the team coupled with the development of the code together with definition and running the tests scripts that are integrated. This is followed by the verification of the results by the users. Briefly, this is what this methodology revolves about. Earlier in the process of development, there is verification which ensures that the requirements are fine-tuned by the stakeholders at the stage at which they can still be easily changed.The simple set of rules and practices are incorporated through which transparency, adaptation and inspection is encompassed in the Scrum, with these requirements being inherent in the control em pirical process. In project management, this process is iterative incremental which is used in software development involving inspection and adaptation on frequent basis, following the methodology of Agile software development. Through the leadership philosophy in Agile software development, teamwork is encouraged together with accountability and self-organization; the best practices on the engineers set through which high quality software rapid delivery is allowed together with being a business approach through which the development is aligned with the needs of the customer and goals of the company.Adopting the agile process requires the development team being with the soft skills, which are also referred to as the people- skills. More values are usually placed on the talented individuals’ interaction over the tools and process. The proscriptive methodology key themes are the tools and the process. In the agile methods, the team members are required to poses communication skills that are appropriate in order to enable there to be collaboration in a situation of the team and the customers together with having talent and friendly approach through which it can be possible to relate well with others (Cockburn Highsmith, 2001). The traits of the agile team member are listed by Pressman (2004) to be inclusive of; common focus, competence, ability of decision making, collaboration, respect and mutual trust together with the ability of solving fuzzy problems. This provides an important move away from the skills that are technical using the prescriptive methodology for any team member.Two agile software methodologies are used. The methodologies are based on the philosophy of agile and are Scrum and XP. Based on the particulars, these methods usually differ, but however, the iterative approach that has been highlighted above is usually shared.XPThe term XP is usually used to denote Extreme Programming. The concentration of the XP is based on the development and not on the software projects managerial aspect. The commencement of the XP project is usually marked by the planning phase release, which is usually followed by various iterations; with each of the iterations concluding with the testing of the user acceptance. Once there are enough features in the product through which the users can be satisfied, the iteration is terminated by the team followed afterwards by the software release.The user stories are usually written to the users with an aim of describing the need that is going to be fulfilled by the software (Henrik, 2007). Through the user stories, it is possible for the team to make an estimation of the resources and time that is required to enhance building and definition of the user acceptance tests. Actually, the representative or the user is usually marked as part of the team of XP, therefore giving them the ability to add the details to the requirement in the process of building the software. Through this process, it is possible f or the evolution of the requirements based on the fact that the developers and the users are able to make a clear definition of the look of the product.In order for the release plan to be created, the development tasks are broken by the team into iterations. The iteration plan is defined by the release plan, through which the development is driven for iteration. At the iteration end, the acceptance tests are performed by the users against the user stories. In case the bugs are found, the nest iteration incorporates the bugs as a step. Theoretically, the iterative testing of the user acceptance can result in the software release. In case of the decision by the user that there has been delivery of enough stories, a choice can be made by the team to have the project terminated before the implementation of the entire user stories that were planned originally.The simplified XP version is shown in the figure below. In full XP’s many plans are included in the release planning, acceptance testing and iteration.There are various XP rules and concepts that are usually market as important in this methodology. At least once every day, the changes must be integrated in the development base line by the development teams. This results to what is usually referred to as the concept of continuous integration. There is also the concept of project velocity which offers measurement of the progress of the work in the project. Through metric which is marked as important, the updates scheduling is enhanced together with driving the release planning. Another concept is that of pair programming based on which, it is clearly highlighted that the release of the production is created by two people whose work is based on one computer. The proposition of the XP is that through the working together of two coders, it will be possible to enhance satisfaction of the user stories at a rate that is similar to individual working by two coders, together with guaranteeing quality that is much high er.In the XP methodology, the user story enhances description of the problems which the system being built will be able to solve. The writing of these stories must be done by the user and the length should be about three sentences. The solution is usually not described in the user story but technical language is usually used.ScrumThe origin of the Scrum software development is traced out of the rapid community of prototyping based on the fact that there was need for a methodology through which there would be support to the environment not only characterized with inadequacy but also being exposed to rapid changes during the development (Schwaber, 2004). In the scrum methodology, there are both the development and management processes.Scrum management: At each of the Scrum project center, there is a work backlog which requires to be done. During the release phase of planning, there is characterization of the backlog as being populated coupled with defining the release scope. After the completion of the high level design and project scope by the team, the development process is divided into sprints; which are short iteration series. With each of the sprints, the aim is implementation of blog items which are fixed in number. There is identification of the backlog items by the team members before each sprint. At each sprint end, there is review of the sprint with an aim of articulating the lessons that are learned together with checking the progress.During the sprint, there is a daily meeting by the team which is referred to as the scrum. The work that is to be done that day is described by each of the team members, the previous day progress together with any blocks that may require clearing. In order for the meeting to be kept short, conducting of the scrum must be when everyone is in the room. Once there has been implementation of enough backlogs to an extent that there is conviction in the team that there is justification of the release being put into production , the development is closed by the management. Integration testing is performed by the team, followed by documentation together with the training which is required for the release of the product.Scrum development: In the process of Scrum development, the concentration will actually be on the sprints management. Before the commencement of each sprint, there is planning by the team, coupled with identification of the backlog items and teams assignment to these items. Each of the backlog items is developed, wrapped, reviewed together with being adjusted by the teams.During the development, the changes that are necessary are determined by the team to ensure that the backlog item is implemented. This is followed by writing the code, testing it and documenting the changes. The review is characterized by the team demonstrating the new features, assessing the risk and adding new backlog items, the data is finally consolidated by the team from the review in order for the changes that are nec essary to be updated.Following each sprint, the progress is demonstrated by the entire team from the spring followed by reviewing the progress of the backlog. The remaining backlog is then reviewed by the team followed by the adding, removing and reprioritizing the necessary items in order for new information to be accounted for.The scrum methodology incorporates various concepts. One of such concepts is the burndown chart. The updating of this chart is done on daily basis and through this updating; it is possible to show the work that remains within the sprint. The burndown chart enhances tracking of the progress of the sprint together with deciding when the removal of the items from the sprint backlog will be necessary and next sprint deferring. There is also the product backlog which provides the requirements complete list; which is inclusive of the enhancement requests, the bugs and the performance improvements that the product release does not currently contain. In addition the re is the ScrumMaster who is the person that has the responsibility of managing the project of Scrum. The ScrumMaster sometimes refers to the certified person, enhanced through training in order to take the ScrumMaster. This process also involves the sprint backlog which contains the items list which is allocated to the sprint although it is not yet complete. The common practice does not provide for a sprint item taking two days before completion. Through the sprint backlog, the team is able to make a prediction of the level of effort that is needed for the completion of the Splint.The agile software development has the positive and the negative sides. Through the agile process, the unpredictable world challenge is addressed through a reliance on the creativity instead of the process. As Erickson et al (2005) note, the agile software development is geared at change and feedback and the development of the methodology is aimed at embracing rather than rejecting the rate of change whic h is higher. Leanness and flexibility is what Conboy and Fitzgerald (2004) uses in the description of the agile development methodology. This methodology is also noted by Conboy and Fitzgerald (2004) as enhancing high quality development of software by the small teams through the use of constant enhancement and testing principle on the basis of change and rapid feedback. Sighting the agile software development as having some negative sides, Schwaber (1995) insists on the need for conductive improvement within the team. Schwaber (1995) adds that although an adaptation of iterative process is suggested by many methodologies, there is lack of clear and specific procedure through which such activities can be conducted. Other shortcomings that have been identified are lack of effective involvement of the customer and difference in the personality among the individuals resulting in barriers in formation of a team that is effective. In addition, it is difficult to prioritize on the require ments for the systems that are large and which have many stakeholders (Sommerville, 2004).SCRUM METHODOLOGYThe onset of the Scrum process is marked with the creation of the product backlog. The backlog is usually a system requirement expressed as a product backlog items prioritized list. The software development team is then handed over the prioritized list in order for them to develop the time line for the product development which is actually negotiable. After the approval of the product backlog by both the client and the developers, the next step marks the onset to the process creating the Sprint Backlog.Basically, a sprint is work iteration, with a period which is usually 15 days, and during this period, there is implementation of the product functionality increment. The work for the Sprint is usually defined by the sprint backlog where there is the movement of the backlog items into the spring from the product backlog; based on the priorities of the owner. At the onset of the s print, there is a one day meeting for sprint planning. This is followed by a sprint review meeting at the end of the sprint, after which the retrogressive meeting follows.The next stage involves the sprint planning meeting which triggers negotiation between the owner of the product and the team about what is going to be done by the team in the next sprint. After every fifteen days, the release of the intermediate product gives the clients and team a product development perspective. The release usually provides a transition of a possibly shippable product increase, from the teams that are involved with the development to the customers for routine use. The release is typically done when the product has resulted from the sprints with enough value through which the deployment costs can be outweighed.Conclusion From the argument approach that is developed in this paper, it is clear that the tailoring of a scrum is usually done to a specific environment, therefore it may not be easy to ar gue over the practice that can be perceived as the best. The approaches used will always differ. This article has provided an evaluation to the methodology of agile software development. It has also highlighted the various pros and cons of agile software development which needs to be addressed. In light to these cons, there is need for the agile teams to be equipped with appropriate information level which can help them in making decisions that are rational and informed to enhance optimal business value development. In addition, there is need to ensure that refining and updating is done on the guiding vision model in accordance with the requirements.Scrum has been highlighted as an incremental framework that is iterative, for the product development of application. The sprints are the work cycles which the development is structured into, with these iterations being highlighted to be not more than a month old each, and occurrences being on their own pause. This article is proving tha t agile is the latest approach which has replaced the previous waterfall approach and in the future, it will also evolve and change.

Where The Waters Begin The Traditional Nisqually Indian...

There is a legend called â€Å" The Land of the Dead of the Nisqually† collected by Cecelia Svinth Carpenter and has been put in her book â€Å"Where the Waters Begin: The Traditional Nisqually Indian History of Mount Rainier†: â€Å"The Squally-absch believed the world to be flat, and beneath its surface is the home of the dead, ‘Otlas-skio.’ Constant communication was maintained between this and the underground world by the spirits of the dead, as well as by the shamans or ‘medicine man,’ The country of Otlas-skio is filled with waving forests, grassy plains and running streams. Villages after the ancient type occupy the most beautiful places; the woods are filled with game and singing birds; brilliant flowers enliven the landscape and perfume th†¦show more content†¦It is thus that they explain a case of suspended animation. â€Å"The Squally neither expect favor or reward, nor feared punishment after death. During life, however, he worshiped the benificent forces of nature and appealed to them for aid and assistance; he feared the evil forces represented by a multitude of demons. Whom he attempted to propitiate that he might escape their attacks. His ceremonial appea ls to the good forces, and his attempt to allay the evil one, consituted the ritual of Nisqually theology. (Wickersham: 1898, 346)† Another legend is from â€Å"Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest† by Ella E. Clark, called â€Å"Mason Lake and the Crying Loon†: â€Å"On the east side of the Olympia Peninsula is a small lake, Mason Lake, which the Indians said was the home of evil spirits. â€Å"Not far from the lake lived a litte boy, a very good swimmer. He spent much of his time in the salt water and on the shore of what is now called Hood Canal. His mother often told him that he must never swim in the haunted lake. It he should swim there, he would anger the evil spirits and they would punish him. But this little boy sometimes did what his mother told him not to do. â€Å"One warm day he disobeyed her and went swimming in the lake of the evil spirits. He could see no demons, but he did see many trout swimming about in the clear water. He swam and dived and had much fun all afternoon. He

Catholic Religion Basics Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The religion that I have chosen to compare with the religion of Catholicism is Islam. Catholicism and Islam have quite some common basics, though with different perspectives. In terms of speaking about the fundamentals in Catholicism Jesus is the god while in Islam it is Allah but they are no way the same. Jesus in Islam is considered as a prophet of Allah while in Catholicism he is viewed as god himself is a member of the trinity. While the religion of Catholicism does believe in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) Islam has no such concepts and believes in only one supreme authority of Allah. Both religions do place a firm belief in the judgment day and the afterlife and both lead to the gateways of heaven or hell. The difference in terms of the beliefs of the judgment day in both the religions comes to the point that the Muslims believe that judgment day would occur at the end of the world, while those following Catholicism believe that judgment occurs immediately after de ath. As for the Holy Scripture, Catholicism follows the Bible while Islam is a follower of the Quran. We will write a custom essay sample on Catholic Religion Basics or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Catholicism states that Jesus was crucified on the cross while Islam is of the view that Jesus was neither killer nor crucified by the Jews but was in fact taken up to god. In terms of the conception of the prophets, Islam and Catholicism do not give them the same stature. Another difference that can be stated in terms of the moral code is that in Islam morality and law are not treated differently while in Catholicism these two factors are placed on different grounds. In terms of more common everyday differences, Islam does not allow the consumption of swine or alcohol and intoxication.

Sethu Sethunarayanan Free Essays

string(35) " training the employees and so on\." 1. Explain in detail what theories and concepts you learned in class are helpful to understand the case. The case discusses an entrepreneur named Sethu Sethunarayanan, who invented and marketed an innovative trap to help poor Irula people (an Indian tribe) catch rats more efficiently. We will write a custom essay sample on Sethu Sethunarayanan or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is the founder of the Center for Development of Disadvantaged People (CDDP) – one of a few recognized non-profit organizations in India. The case is an example how technological innovation and human capital can be used to improve the life for the poor. This rat-trap entrepreneurship was a social entrepreneurship because the inventor used the resources to cater to the needs of poor people. Prior to the innovation of the new trap, Irula villagers needed to use their mouths and their hands to catch the rats directly; their health was severely affected when touching the rats. After talking to a rat-catcher’s wife, Sethu realized that there was a problem and with the instinct of an entrepreneur, he knew that there would be an opportunity for him to solve the problem and improve the lives of Irula people. With the help of a mechanical engineer, Sethu developed a new trap to help people catch rats without contacting directly to the rats and the hot area of the trap. The values created from this innovation were a better health and a better income for rat-catchers. A concept test was implemented to fifteen rat catchers to see whether it worked. This was an important process to determine whether the entrepreneur needed to revise his innovation. After six iterations in eight months, the trap met most of the needs of the rat catchers. Sethu then applied for the grant from the World Bank to commercialize the innovation. It was a good choice of raising fund since social entrepreneurships usually do not attract numerous investors (because the aim is not for profit but for a better life of people). Sethu also planned various processes for the implementation of the project. Firstly, he identified the market which consisted of 1,500 neediest villagers and communicated the benefits of the new trap directly to this segment by visiting their villages. Secondly, Sethu created more values for customers by creating the women’s microcredit funds, which operated like loans and enabled women to afford a trap. These funds helped bring the traps to more villagers. Thirdly, he chose the right people to take care of the production. Since the young and unmarried women were selected to be the workers, the men and the boys were kept for catching the rats. Finally, he already thought of the exit strategy when the demand for the traps decreased. In such a situation, the factory would produce other steel products that were useful for Irula people. 2. What were crucial factors that determined success or failure? The success of the rat trap entrepreneurship was contributed by numerous factors. Firstly, it was due to the human capital: Irula people. Although Irula young women were illiterate, they were able to produce the traps by themselves after being instructed. Selecting these women to operate the factory was a wise strategy because it made Irula people feel proud of their tribe. These workers might also persuade and instruct their relatives and neighbors to use the traps. As a result, the customer base for the business would be enlarged. Secondly, the technology innovation was also an important factor. It was the simplicity of the trap that made it usable for Irula people, 99% of whom were illiterate. Sethu and the mechanic engineer spent eight months inventing and testing the trap before it met all the needs of the rat catchers. If the trap was more complex, Irula people could not use it and the entrepreneurship would become a failure. Thirdly, the $98,500 grant from the World Bank served as the source for Sethu to implement his business plan. The plan included many costly processes such as health checks and treatments for the beneficiaries, building factory, training employees, and production. Without the fund of the World Bank laying the foundation, Sethu might not be able to start the business. Lastly, Sethu seemed to be the first one who addressed the problem in how Irula people catch rats, so he had the first-mover advantage. In addition, it was not likely that other social entrepreneurs would come and compete with Sethu in the near future. Hence, the Irulas did not have other choices but use Sethu’s new traps if they wanted to change the way to catch rats. 3. What characteristics of the entrepreneur enabled their success? Sethu had many characteristics of an ideal social entrepreneur. Among those characteristics, the thing distinguishing him from others may be his concern for the community. Being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of the Nation, Sethu always thought of ways to bring a better life for the poor in India. This is probably the reason why he realized the problem of the old way of catching rats of the Irulas and did not stop thinking of a solution. In addition, Sethu obtained an appropriate education and experience in doing social entrepreneurship. Sethu studied in Gandhi’s school in India, where he was instructed to use Gandhi’s method to improve lives for the poor, solve human conflicts and introduce new ideas. After graduation, he worked for an NGO to accumulate experience before establishing his own NGO in 1998. His education and experience were the foundation for his innovativeness, which contributed to the invention of the rat trap. Finally, the most vital factor leading to the success of the entrepreneurship was Sethu’s risk-taking attitude. What would happen if the trap failed when applying to a large extend even though it was successful in the concept test; or if the Irula refused to use the trap anyway? In such a situation, Sethu would lose all the costs in health checking and treatment for the rat catchers, building the factory, training the employees and so on. You read "Sethu Sethunarayanan" in category "Essay examples" More importantly, his prestige would be adversely affected since he was awarded the grant from the World Bank but failed to use it effectively. Despite all these risks, he still continued with the business because he believed in his idea and in the Irulas. 4. What were problems encountered by the entrepreneur and how did the entrepreneur deal with the problems? How did the entrepreneur overcome the problems? When implementing the project, Sethu did face some problems. Firstly, it was the resistance from the Irula people. They refused to meet Sethu and CDDP volunteers because they think Sethu and the volunteers were from some politic parties. Knowing that Irula people wanted to involve and did not like free things, Sethu triggered their interest by approaching them personally, explaining the serious health problems with the old trap and asking them whether they wanted to change their lives. The second problem was the selection of the workers for the factories. Because the men and the boys needed to catch rats while the wives and the old women were taking cooking roles in families, Sethu chose young, unmarried women to be the workers. He even transferred the ownership of the factory to these women so that they felt more motivated to control the production. The third problem was that Irula people were not be able to afford the trap at $25. CDDP solved this problem by launching the women’s microcredit collectives. In particular, a group of 12-15 women contributed money to form a fund. When a woman wanted to buy a trap but could only afford 50% payment, she received the trap and paid the rest to the microcredit fund. Such a fund made the traps become more affordable for the Irulas. Perhaps the most serious problem was that the business did not bring profit, at least in the recent future. The production cost per unit was $27 ($22 for raw materials and $5 for labor) but the selling price was only $25. To deal with this problem, Sethu used bootstrapping as the financing method for the entrepreneurship when he tried to save unnecessary costs. For example, he asked the Irulas to return the trap if they did not use it. In addition, Sethu’s son successfully negotiated with the supplier to lower the material cost (from $28 to $25) and the cost savings was then reinvested in the factory. 5. Given the knowledge and skills you acquired in class, would you have done anything differently and if yes, what? There may be some alternatives to deal with the mentioned problems. Firstly, we can use the power of the influential group to persuade the Irulas to use the trap. By identifying some influential people, for example the tribal chief, in a village and convincing them to use the new trap, we can spread the benefits of the new trap to other villagers faster. It is because the Irula people still live with tribe culture, they will likely to follow what the tribal chief does. Secondly, instead of selling the traps to the Irulas people, we can employ them as our employees and pay them salaries. The salaries will have one fixed portion and one variable portion based on the number of rats a person can catch. We will receive money from the farm owners and distribute to the catchers. By employing the Irulas as our employees, we solve the problem that some Irula people wish to use but do not afford the new trap. What is more, when putting them in a company and considering them as our employees, we also help educate them and reduce their illiteracy. 6. What would be the next steps you would take to successfully proceed? To continue the success of the entrepreneurship, firstly, we must find ways to earn money because no business can maintain forever without profit. Initially, the selling price was at $25, which was $3 lower than the production cost. We can continue working with the supplier (the steel maker company, in this case it was Tata Steel) or even change to other suppliers to further reduce the cost. On the other hand, we could provide new complementary products/services to earn profits and help offset the losses in the rat-trap product line. Notice that the new trap helped catch rat 95% efficiency and helped doubled or even tripled their incomes, the Irula people would earn more money to spend for their living expenses. For instance, we could provide maintaining services for the traps and charge a certain level of money, depending on the current economic situation of the rat catchers. Or it might also sell hand sanitizers for the Irula people to wash their hands after using the trap. When the Irulas’ income increased, these complementary products were likely to be purchased widely because the Irula people cared more about their health. In addition, we can work with the owners of the farms to increase the payoffs for Irula people. The old method of catching rats is extremely inefficient, affects the plants on the fields and causes pollution. We will approach the farmers explain to them the efficiency and the benefits of the new trap, and convince them to employ rat catchers who use the new traps. Lastly, a more efficient trap can be produced. The current new trap can only catch one rat at one time, which is very inefficient. We can apply new technology to catch many rats at one time. For example, rats are affected by certain electromagnetic waves. By putting some wave generators at the fields, the rats are hurt and will come out of their burrows. Then the Irulas might catch the rats more easily. Because the costs for such systems might be high, we will need to obtain a certain level of profits before trying the new technology. Furthermore, we can also seek funds from external sources. How to cite Sethu Sethunarayanan, Essay examples

Health Fitness Program Essay Example For Students

Health Fitness Program Essay The current health situation in the state of Mississippi is disastrous. The state of MS has the highest percentage of obesity in the United States. The State Health Fact says that in 2001, 61% of Mississippians were obese compared to 56% for the rest of the U.S. Female obesity in the state was a whopping 54% as compared to the rest if the U. S. at 47%. Likewise, the obesity rate for males was 69% as compared to 65% in the rest of the U.S. These figures are alarming, and the MS State Health Department says it is only getting worse. In 2002, 36% of adults were obese and in 2003, 30% of MS high school students were reported to be obese. That equals 66% obesity for the entire state. With the state of MS in downward spiral for health, people need a lifestyle change. My goal is to start a Corporate Fitness plan. Under the current market situation, the companys position is the creation and implementation of wellness programs. The basic market need is the reduction of corporate costs and the increase in employee efficiency that can be achieved through long-term wellness programs. The profile for Corporate Fitness (CF) customer consists of the following: the immediate geographic target is the state of Mississippi; the demographic makeup is 54% female, 69% male, and 36% of these individuals are adult; the behavioral factors are that the targets recognize the need for physical activity in their lives and are willing to utilize fringe benefits that are offered by their employer as part of their compensation package. Upon reviewing the possible competition, the two main competitors of Corporate Fitness are local YMCAs, whose market is primarily lower-income families and/or students who want accessibility and affordability of fitness facilitates, and local fitness centers and gyms, whose market is primarily middle to upper class who generally are fitness seekers that have a daily regimen. Through threat and opportunity analysis, our companys threats are more likely going to be from the state residents than from other businesses. Although these threats are identified, other threats to consider are a lack of immunity to an economic downturn; potential competition from larger, well established competitors; and a change in society where individuals begin to take far more responsibility for their health. With MSs current state of obesity, we do realize that we are facing a complete lifestyle change by the workers of MS. We also realize that we will be trying to intervene in peoples lives, although positively, and despite this, they will be naturally resistant to change because of human nature. With MS in an epidemic of obesity, the opportunities are endless. Some of the opportunities are outlined as follows: There will be participation within a growing market; An anticipated increase in clients will follow with the acceptance of CFs program by a single company; and the ability to influence future quantitative studies that support the debate that long-term wellness programs have a significant, positive impact on a companys bottom line. We at Corporate Fitness believe this untapped resource is the equivalent to discovering the cure for several of the most deadly diseases in modern society since obesity is at the heart of most of these ailments. Our major marketing concern is to be careful not to drive anyone away with this new service we are offering. Our managers realize that dealing with individuals health and weight is a very personal matter that some people are just not willing to discuss or deal with. Knowing this information, we want to focus on the Healthy Lifestyle change, promoting life and good health rather than a Youre out of shape and obese change. Objectives for Corporate Fitness are to provide their customers with a health care cost management program for employees that will increase employee productivity and decrease overall business costs. .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .postImageUrl , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:visited , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:active { border:0!important; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:active , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drunk Driving Essay Corporate Fitness seeks to accomplish the following benefits that are important to their customers: Customization CF will offer a totally customized solution for each company as well as each individual employee within the company. Convenience Customers will not use the service if it is not convenient. CF recognizes this and strives to make their services as convenient as possible .